According to a conventional method for producing a molded body in a state before being subjected to firing, a material slurry which contains a material powder, a dispersant, and a gelling agent is molded, and the molded material slurry is caused to set through curing reaction effected by the gelling agent (refer to, for example, WO 2004/035281), thereby yielding a molded body. A process for producing a molded body through utilization of curing reaction effected by the gelling agent is also called a gel-casting process.
As described in WO 2009/110579, the inventors of the present invention propose a method for yielding, by use of the gel-casting process, a molded body in which two kinds of molded parts of different materials are bonded together. According to this method, first, a paste which does not contain a gelling agent is formed into a certain shape and caused to set, thereby forming a first molded part. Next, a material slurry which contains a material powder, a dispersant, and a gelling agent is molded and caused to set in such a manner as to come into contact with the first molded part, thereby forming a second molded part.
In this manner, according to WO 2009/110579, the first molded part is formed without use of the gel-casting process, and the second molded part is formed by use of the gel-casting process, thereby yielding a molded body in which two kinds of molded parts of different materials are bonded together.